


Bursting Skies [Kaylor]

by sansargaery



Category: Taylor Swift (Musician)
Genre: F/F, kaylor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-04-09 21:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4365170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansargaery/pseuds/sansargaery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU in which popular cheerleader Karlie Kloss and world's biggest dork Taylor Swift get paired together on a class field trip to the fair and cuteness ensues. Just small town American girls..</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Intro

Taylor swore her heart skipped a full beat. 

Did she hear right? Did her teacher just say  _her_  name?

It was the morning of ASB's annual trip to the local fair and now that Taylor was an upperclassman she could finally go. She'd woken up early and spent a good portion of the morning packing and double-checking to make sure she had everything they'd need for the day--chapstick, sunscreen, sunglasses, cash, a few sharpies, earphones, a good book,  like 5 water bottles, and of course plenty of snacks for Ed. She was one of the first to arrive at class and waited until her friends showed, much lazier than her even though she'd texted them all the night before to set their clocks.

_Did they not see all the emojis she used?_

But anyways, they'd all managed to finally show up. Ed was halfway through a joke when Ms. Paine, their teacher, began making some general announcements for the trip, all stuff you could tune out. That is until a tall brunette rushed through the door, the last to show, holding a Starbucks, breathlessly apologizing for being late.

"Karlie, glad you could make it," Ms. Paine greeted the girl, "I think I'm going to assign you to.." she paused surveying the now hushed class in front of her, their eager eyes following her finger, air stale with anticipation. She smirked, finally making a decision, "Taylor's group."

Yup, that was her name. And yup that's the exact moment when Taylor's heart skipped a full beat. This was definitely _not good_ for her cardiovascular health.

The tallest, prettiest girl in their class--hell,  _school_ \--was now approaching her meager little group of geeks and outcasts.

The tallest, prettiest girl in school was going to be spending the entire day with  _Taylor_ \--Taylor, the bookworm with thick-framed glasses and wild hair, the hair that had earned her endless teasing and Hermione remarks.

It wasn't so much  _her_  that made Taylor nervous, Taylor had never spoken to her, rather it was everything surrounding her: from her looks, to the way she carried herself, to her posh friends and quarterback boyfriend; she was perfect, the perfect apple pie American high school small town girl. That was Karlie. That was the infamous Karlie Kloss.

To put it simply, Karlie wore short skirts, Taylor woret-shirts.

So when Karlie strolled over to her and her friends with that model-like walk and posture, flashing her bright smile, Taylor couldn't help but get flustered and look away before Karlie's eyes could meet hers.

Ed and Ella greeted her like nothing and returned back to their heated conversation about some  _National Geographic_  article.

_Of_   _course_ , Taylor thought. They were never intimidated by anyone, never afraid to be themselves, completely oblivious to the rumors around them. She loved them and whatever "weirdness" they'd always seemed to bring around. Too long she had wished for that kind of confidence, to be unabashedly and shamelessly herself.

The class, too, had returned to their noise level before being interrupted and now it felt like Taylor and Karlie were two silent objects in this mass, inevitably gravitating towards each other.

Karlie must've felt it because she quickly turned her eyes to Taylor.

Taylor, in turn, gazed at the wall.

Karlie stared harder.

Taylor fidgeted with her backpack straps.

Karlie moved a step closer.

Taylor pulled her phone out.

Karlie cleared her throat.

Taylor...pretended to drop her phone in the complete opposite direction of Karlie.

_Nice job_ _,_ _Taylor,_ she thought to herself as she went to grab the iPhone, although grateful for deflecting Karlie.

To Taylor's surprise, a hand moved over the phone before she could reach it and next thing she knew she was gazing straight into Karlie Kloss's eyes. She hadn't let Taylor win this game.

"Wow..." Taylor, who was now entranced in Karlie's piercing green stare, mumbled off quietly enough for her not to hear.

Karlie raised an eyebrow and gave her a mischievous little smile, "Did you drop this on purpose?"

And this was it for Taylor. Yup, she was definitely gone. Deceased. Her whole teenage life. Over.

At the sight of Taylor, frozen, mouth agape, and redder than ever, Karlie's face softened and entire demeanor changed. "Sorry..I uh.." she faltered and trailed off until her eyes suddenly lit up, having caught sight of something. "I love cats!" she exclaimed while pointing to the stickers on Taylor's phone and smiling dorkily, "My mom would never let me have one. Says we're more of dog people. I don't know about that though."

"R-really? I..I have two," Taylor held up her fingers to show that, yes, she did indeed have _two_  cats as well as  _two_  fingers, while Karlie nodded her head, smiling, finding the gesture amusing, "...two whole ones at home...I mean Olivia's still a kitten but--"

Just then Ms.Paine began clapping, "Alright everyone, the buses are here. Gather up your things."

\--

Taylor looked back and forth nervously from the bus to Ed and Ella laughing. She had tried a few times to get their attention, ask about the seating arrangements but they hadn't noticed her prodding. Maybe if she just squeezed her way next to them on the bus...

"Two to a seat! Two to a seat, kids! We don't want to get sued for safety violations!"

She let out an exasperated sigh as Ms. Paine waved the line forward.

A finger tapped her on the shoulder and she sullenly spun around to face her oncoming doom--Karlie Kloss's flawless smile.

"Hey! Since we're in the same group we should probably stick together so I don't, like, lose you or something."

Taylor laughed internally, Karlie was so tall she'd be impossible to lose. "Uh..okay."

"We'll just sit together okay?"

"Okay.."

Karlie did a small fist pump and smiled down at her like she'd just answered the question right to a game show or something.

_What a dork_ , Taylor thought.

This girl was much more down to earth than she expected.

\--

The ride was pretty uneventful, to Taylor's relief. Karlie had taken the window seat and resorted to her earphones after a few short attempts at making conversation. Taylor had chastised herself for making everything so difficult; this was easy. Karlie was easy to talk, wasn't she? So why was she still so scared of her?

Taylor quietly watched the girl that'd filled her entire morning with anxiety stare out the window, silently mouthing the words to her music, watching the houses pass by. Taylor had never really taken the time to look at her like this, to really look at her, at the curve of her nose, pink of her lips, the way her eyelashes lit up from the warm morning sun shining through the dirty bus window. She was caught up in a sudden admiration of this girl's pure...pure... _something_. Beauty? Nope, too generic. She couldn't quite find the word. But for now, she gave a small smile to the scene flowering in front of her.

The rumors were true. This girl really could be a model.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Amount of chapters depends on feedback
> 
> Just a short intro to test the waters, thanks for reading and commenting :-)


	2. The Fair

"Come on, Taylor!" Ed shouted as he ran towards the giant inflatable cartoon cowboy to meet Ella who was already striking a pose.

Taylor couldn't help but smile at their childish energy and shyly turned around to hand Karlie her phone, "..Could you?"

"Mhm," she replied nonchalantly, taking the phone. The brunette had been quietly trailing behind them the entire time with a small, content smile. It radiated a sort of happiness and ease that did funny things to Taylor's insides whenever she sneaked a glance at the girl.

"Okay ready?" Karlie asked. They all nodded. Taylor had settled on pulling a wide-tooth grin while doing bunny ears behind Ed's shaggy head. "...1, 2.."

As she breathed in the popcorn-scented air, felt the liveliness of her friends, watched the candy-colored balloons float past, Taylor couldn't fight the tide of excitement bubbling in her. There was a magic in this place--something of childhood and innocence but teenage youth as well; this was where boys brought their girlfriends to win giant stuffed-animals, where first kisses or first dates were made, a place where spooked souls would reach for each other quietly in the darkness, illuminated only by neon lights, the taste of cotton candy stuck on their tongues. Yeah, it was cheesy, but Taylor always seemed to have a place in her heart for fairy tales and fantasies. She wanted to believe.

"..3!"

And the picture was snapped.

Any confidence she'd just gained in the past few moments plummeted back down to zero when she saw the look on Karlie's face as she approached to retrieve her phone.

"Taylor, you, uh, have a little something," she gestured to her teeth.

"What..?" she grabbed her phone, only to cringe at the sight of a dark brown stain smudging the corner of her front tooth, "....OH...Oh my god!" How could she have been running around the entire time like that?

 _Because you ate it alone, Taylor. You ate it alone_ , she scolded herself, remembering back to the morning when she'd splurged and quickly stuffed her face with a slice chocolate cake before rushing out the door to ensure she'd be early to, well, being early.

Still, Ed and Ella must've noticed. And they probably had a good laugh about it, too, behind her back. She cursed them in her head, standing there frozen and embarrassed.

"It's alright, Taylor, really..it's uh...it's actually pretty cute," Karlie assured her with a smile, "It's a cute picture, you shouldn't delete it."

Taylor's heart picked up at the mention of "cute" and her name in the same sentence. Again, she was flustered and looked away, but took the girl's advice and slid the phone into her pocket, saving the picture.

"So! What should we do first?" asked Ed who had come skipping up to rejoin them with Ella.

After getting off the buses and gathering at the entrance, Ms. Paine had gone over the rules  _again_  and reminded them of the times they were supposed to check in to "make sure no one's died or gotten in some horrible accident with a donkey" then cut them loose. They were basically free to do whatever they wanted the whole day.

"I'm chill with whatever you kiddos wanna do," said Ella, Karlie nodding along with her.

Taylor had been waiting for this moment, forgetting her embarrassment as she pulled out a carefully highlighted and sharpied map.

"Okay so I was thinking we could begin here, at the petting zoo," she started, pointing to the little zebra icon on the map, then went on to explain a variety of games and attractions she had planned out for them as well as their times and a "brief" synopsis of each, "...and lastly there's a firework show starting around 10 but I don't know if we'll be able to catch it. It's a tight schedule but I may have also snuck in one or two surprises...Oh and I almost forgot!" she pulled out another piece of paper, "I've written down all the places to eat here along with their menus and a few choice Yelp reviews. Now I couldn't find all allergy warnings online but I'll make sure to ask for whichever places you guys choose. Speaking of, is anyone here allergic to peanuts?"

Taylor was met with silence as she looked up and curiously shifted her eyes from each of them, examining their reactions; Ella looking wildly amused, Ed who had his mouth half open in awe, and the last and most strangest: Karlie, who was smiling at her from ear to ear.

_God, why is she looking at me like that?_

Ella was the first to break the silence, "You planned that all last night didn't you?" she shook her head, trying not to laugh.

"You know, Taylor," Ed joined in, reaching an arm around Taylor's neck,"Halfway through I was going to crack a joke but now...now I'm just impressed."

She blushed a little, realizing just how much she had mom'd out, while glancing at the girl across from her, the one who could never seem to shake a smile off her face.

Maybe today would still be a good day.

\--

They had mostly been sticking to her plan, the petting zoo went relatively well considering Ed had not gotten into some horrible donkey accident, when the group requested a (much needed) bathroom break.

Taylor was left to watch everyone's stuff when not even 2 minutes had passed and Karlie was already walking back.

"You went already?" Taylor asked, as the taller girl strided past her to grab her bag.

"Mhm," she replied simply.

"How?!"

She turned and gave Taylor a quick wink, "I know a trick."

"I saw the line for the women's, there's no way.."

"Who said I went to the women's?" Karlie raised her eyebrow and smiled teasingly.

"No..." Taylor's eyes widened as realization struck her, jaw beginning to drop, "You didn't."

"What? Like the signs matter anyways," she shrugged, "Social constructs and all that." She took Taylor's silence (and growing smile) as cue to continue, "Please.." she rolled her eyes, "If you think  _that's_  wild, you should meet my friend Cara. She's actually the one who showed me that."

Taylor simply shook her head in disbelief while Karlie dug for a snack in her bag. They were quiet for some time until Karlie stuck her bag of chips out to Taylor. Now,  _of course_ Taylor knew the importance of healthy eating, but Karlie's bag of low-fat organic, zero-calorie, vegetable "crisp" whatevers weren't exactly looking the most appetizing. It really must've been her hunger and definitely  _not_ the way her heart jumped at the thought of Karlie choosing to share with her that she decided to take one anyways.

"Thanks."

Karlie nodded then sighed and wiped her forehead.

"What's wrong?" asked Taylor, noticing her slight frown.

"Nothing, it's just a lot hotter than I thought it would be today," she laughed a little bit, "I probably shouldn't have worn this big sweater."

Taylor had, in fact, dressed accordingly because she checked the weather, like, three times yesterday and even brought extra clothes, just in case. "I, uh, have a tank top if you want it," she offered. Truthfully, Taylor wanted to repay the girl for how nice she was being and still felt bad that she'd been forced to join her group.

_She probably isn't even having a good time. She's just polite._

"Really?" Karlie's voice perked up.

Taylor was instantly glad she offered and replied with a small smile, "Of course."

After taking the top out of her bag and handing it over, Karlie flashed her a smile and began walking away.

"Hey," Taylor was forced to raise her voice slightly (the girl walked quickly;  _it had to be her endless legs_ ) "Where are you going? The bathrooms are that way."

Karlie stopped and looked over her shoulder, giving Taylor a face that screamed, 'I dare you to follow me.'

\--

"You can't go in there! It says 'Employees Only.'"

"That's why I'm not going in there, silly," replied Karlie, holding back a giggle, clearly enjoying messing with Taylor.

"Why are we even h--" Taylor's eyes widened as Karlie grabbed the end of her sweater and began lifting up, "Wh-what are you doing?!" she asked in a high-pitched voice, shocked, after quickly turning around so she wouldn't see.

"Shhh," Karlie placed her finger over her mouth as Taylor glanced back hesitantly, "Just keep watch."

Taylor blushed at the sight of Karlie, half-undressed, shushing her, and turned back around.

It felt like an eternity waiting in this secluded area of the fair. Taylor tried to ignore the thought of Karlie dressing into  _her_  top just a few feet away as well as all the noises the girl made as she did so. The more she repressed, the faster her heart seemed to beat. The feelings made her uneasy.

 _It's probably just because she's so popular or whatever_ , she reasoned.

Taylor was shaken from her thoughts by a creaking sound and spun around to see a worker coming out the door she had warned about earlier. Taylor shot Karlie a look that had a mixture of worry and "I told you so," then glanced back at the worker, who looked just as surprised as them. His face quickly turned annoyed, however, as he glared at the two teenage girls, prompting Karlie to try and change faster.

 _Nothing_ , Taylor thought,  _can put a price on the sight of this literal giraffe struggling to get out of a sweater._ The girl had nearly fallen over as her arms and head got all tangled up.

As soon as the employee rolled his eyes and left, both girls burst out laughing.

"Oh my god..oh...my..god," Taylor managed to get out between breaths.

It wasn't until their laughter had started to die down that she noticed Karlie's hands gripping her wrists and how close they were to each other. Taylor awkwardly broke away from the girl, ignoring the warm feeling bubbling in her lower abdomen. Karlie had looked away and Taylor thought her cheeks seemed a little...flushed? It was probably from the heat and all the laughing.

"Seriously though...why did you do that?" asked Taylor, ignoring the awkward moment, "You could've just changed in the bathroom."

Karlie shrugged and smiled, "That would've been less fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah I was going to fit the entire trip into this but I don't have any more time to write today so i'll leave you all with this.
> 
> Also, follow my tumblr @ omgkaylor.tumblr.com :-) if you wish.


	3. The Fair

Taylor felt a nudge and looked up to see Ella gesturing towards a carnival game. She smiled knowingly and rolled her eyes at the sight of a grey cat plushy hanging as one of the prizes. Ella always liked to tease her about her obsession with the animal, further poking at her ribs.

Ed weaseled himself between the two girls, noticing their interest, "Look's just like Mere, eh?"

"Mere?" Taylor was surprised to hear Karlie's voice so close to her, "Is that your cat's name?"

"Yeah..It's short for Meredith," she replied without looking at the girl, blushing slightly at her interest.

Ella turned to the three of them, "Shall we?"

\--

The older man running the stand jumped out of his raggedy lawn chair as soon as he saw the group approaching the game, which, reading from the cartoon muscle man banner, was called "Strongman." His messy mustache completed with trucker hat and stained t-shirt made it difficult to take him seriously as he waved them in with a peculiar smile.

"Welcome! Welcome!" he greeted with wild hand gestures and an overly eccentric voice. They all struggled to contain their laughter. "Step right up! Step right up! Do any of you wish to play today?" He eyed each of them as they nodded uncomfortably.

Taylor bit her lip and exchanged a glance with Karlie as she tried not to get into a laughing fit over his exaggerated mannerisms, which she still wasn't completely sure were serious or not.

"GREAT!" he shouted, startling them. "So basically what ya, whatcha want to do here is take this thingy," he pulled out a wooden mallet from behind the board, "and hit this thingy," he grunted as he pretended to strike, "...as hard as you can, and if it goes all the way to the top and rings this thingy," he pointed to the bell at the top of the game, "then you get one of these thingies!" he finished, tossing a plush toy at the unsuspecting Ed, who fumbled it.

"Got it?!" The almost cartoon-like man paused to circle the group, quickly snatching the toy back from Ed while continuing, "So who wants to go first?"

Ella, who had been utterly entertained by this entire scene, spoke up,"This is totally sick. I love old games like this," she exclaimed, stepping forward to hand him her tickets.

He snapped his fingers while taking them, "Small girl but I reckon you got a lot of power."

Ed shook his head, "Wouldn't bet on it."

Taylor rolled her eyes and flicked his ear, causing Ella to smile, "Thanks, Tay."

She gave her a small salute, "Any time."

Ella then picked up the giant hammer and Taylor couldn't resist stopping her to snap a photo; the girl was so small compared to the rest of them giants.

Her swing was quick but the game lit up to a score of only 60, not enough to win the cat plushy.

"Told ya," Ed whispered with a small smile.

Ella simply shrugged while Taylor decided it was time to do some real teasing, feeling more comfortable as the day had progressed. She caught Ed off guard when she began jumping up and down, hitting his head as if it was a bongo while shouting, "Like to see you try!!"

Mid-jump she caught sight of Karlie quietly laughing with her hand over her mouth. It brought on that strange warm feeling from earlier which weirdly worked to encourage her further.

"Alright! ALRIGHT!" Ed whined in defeat, "Bloody hell, just give me the damn thing already." He reached for the mallet.

After some heaving and grunting, the score jumped up to a whopping.....45.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Ed, pure amusement marking his tone rather than anger or disappointment, "H-How is that even possible?!" Laughter bubbled up in his throat, catching his words.

His failure was met by applause and laughter from the girls. "Wow...just wow," Taylor added.

The worker spoke up, reaching an arm around Ed, "It's alright. It's fine. Come on now, boy. Try again." 

"Nah that's okay. I think, uh, that's enough exercise for the year," Ed joked awkwardly, shying away from the man's arm.

He simply pushed further, even poking at Ed's peck while booming,  "Nah, nah come on. I'm givin' you a chance to reclaim your masculinity."

(This comment earning an almost unison eye roll from the three girls.)

"I'm good. I'm good, man. I don't even have any tickets left," Ed countered, while subtly stuffing the tickets hanging from his pocket back into his pants.

He squinted his eyes, "Ya sure?"

"Absolutely," Ed replied, finally wriggling himself free from the man's grip.

"Alright. Alright," he was forced to raise his voice as Ed made his way back to the group, which had quietly snuck off, "Come back again! Y'all better tell your friends!"

"Will do, mate!" Ed shouted back.

When he rejoined them, they all exchanged "yikes" looks and let out breathy laughs, going off about how funny the whole encounter was.

"Did you see when he almost fell over? I couldn't even..."

But Taylor was already tuning them out. As they bantered on, she couldn't help the twinge of sadness she felt watching the stuffed-animal remain swaying in the warm breeze over Ed's shoulder.

It was stupid.

 _She_  was stupid.

When the conversation hit a low, Ed yawned, stretching his arms over his head, "Ahh..I'm starved."

\--

They'd all been quietly looking over the menu when Taylor spoke up, "So what do you guys think?"

"Ehh I don't know..." Ed pulled a face then gestured, "I saw a taco stand back there."

"Really?" Taylor paused--normally, she wouldn't be this stubborn but the scent of sizzling beef was really doing things to her stomach--"..I kinda want to eat here."

Hoping to outvote Ed, she turned to Ella, "What do you think, Ell?"

The girl slid her hands in her pockets and shrugged, "Honestly, I don't know. I'm up for either."

_Darn it._

"Why don't we just split up?" Karlie interjected, to Taylor's surprise, since she'd been so quiet and passive during all the group discussions thus far.

Ed agreed, "Yeah, that'll save time like you wanted, Tay."

"Sounds good to me," Ella joined him, nodding.

"Wait, wait, wait. We can't just..I mean.." Taylor stumbled over her words, trying to keep up with how fast the decision had been made, "Ms. Paine didn't explicitly say that we had to stay together but--"

"Taylor," Ella grabbed her by the shoulders, "we can survive without our mom for two ticks."

Ed chuckled then added, "It's not the 80's. We have phones. We'll text you after we eat."

And like that, they were off before she could even ask if their phones were fully charged.

Taylor sighed and shifted her focus to Karlie, who stood beside her studying the menu. There was something about the way she was biting her lip and how she stood, arms crossed, leaning just slightly on her toes, all deep in concentration, that made her nervous to be alone with this girl again.

"Hmm..What are you going to get?" Karlie had rubbed her neck and turned to her.

"Oh, uh, I was thinking maybe just the classic burger," she fidgeted with a thread from her shorts as she answered.

"Mhm okay.." Karlie paused then gestured, "You can go first if you want."

"Yeah, uh, alright."

_Okay so maybe she'd never actually gone shopping without her mom. Maybe she'd never actually bought anything on her own. But like no big deal right? No biggie, Taylor. No biggie. Just a hamburger._

She walked right up to the counter, looked the cashier straight in the eyes, opened her mouth to order and...was suddenly bombarded by a barrage of thoughts:

 _Wait_ _,_ _wait_ _,_   _wait, wheres the money? Did you forget you had to pay?_ _What if you don't even have enough money?_

She hastily turned away and started fishing through her bag, becoming increasingly redder by the second.

_Where is it? Where is it!?? Did you actually FORGET IT AT HOME!???? REALLY??? REALLY?? DO THEY EVEN ACCEPT CASH??!!!!!...Wait, what? Of course they accept cash, Taylor, everywhere accepts cash....IF YOU COULD JUST FLIPPIN' FIND IT!!_

Taylor hadn't even noticed she'd been shaking until a gentle hand wrapped around her wrist. Confused, she looked up, only to be met with Karlie's side profile. The girl was turned towards the cashier.

"We'd like two classic burgers, please," Karlie still hadn't looked at her, but gave Taylor a soft squeeze as she talked to the worker.

_Did she really just feel that or was she imagining?_

"Okay, would you like any drinks?" the cashier asked.

Karlie nodded, "Mhm."

Taylor realized what was going on but couldn't bother to be embarrassed when all she could focus on was Karlie's lingering touch on her skin.

"We have Coke, Sprite, Pepsi.."

"Uh..how about..Coke?" Karlie had turned to her, lips slightly parted, and Taylor realized she was asking her if that was okay. She quickly nodded.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, an order of fries, please, and that'll be it," Karlie finished the order and reached for her bag, finally letting go of Taylor's arm, something she was acutely aware of.

Before Taylor could stop her, she was already paying with her own money.

The taller girl then cracked open the glass bottles of Coke and handed her one, tossing the cap along, too, with a dorky kinda smile, "Used to collect those!"

\--

They sat across from each other at the yellow picnic table Karlie had picked out in a quiet, shaded corner of the fair.  It was about noon and the sun was blazing as Taylor watched drops of cool condensation roll down her Coke. She ate slow, noting how messy of an eater the girl in front of her was. Karlie, she learned, was no stranger to food all over her face. Despite the heat and aroma of junk food, Taylor couldn't help but think this all felt strangely...date-like?

Karlie was the first to break the silence when she offered Taylor some of her fries, which she took sheepishly.

Feeling awkward, Taylor attempted to restart the conversation, "I didn't think you...you'd..." and here she was stumbling over her words again, "...like, uh, eat this stuff."

Karlie looked up from her plate with a raised eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

_Okay that was probably not a good conversation starter._

"Uh, you know, like...I thought you'd get a salad or something."

Seeing Karlie's reaction, she felt like she'd just fallen down an elevator shaft and immediately regretted the poor string of words that had escaped her mouth.

Taylor hastily attempted a recovery, "I mean don't get me wrong..."

And then she proceeded to do that nervous thing; the thing where her eyes get all wide and her voice gets all funny and she starts making weird hand gestures and just loses control of her body in general. 

Yeah,  _that_  thing.

"...You're like, BAM!, amazing! Your body is woah! It's like, like I look at you and I'm just like GOALS! H-how is she even real, right?!..uh..yeah.." Her awkward laughter following this word vomit was icing on the cake.

Karlie just shook her head and looked down, "No, no I get it, yeah. You think I'm, like, some high school movie cliché. The dumb cheerleader whose obsessed with dieting and calories. 'Cause all I care about is popularity and how hot I look, right?"

Taylor's heart sunk, "No! No..that's not how I see you at all," she lowered her voice slightly, feeling guilty, "I mean maybe a little at first...but as I've gotten to know you..I really didn't mean to..." she paused, making sure to think her words out this time, "It's just I always say the wrong things. Nothing ever comes out right because I get nervous. What I meant was you seem really into health and fitness stuff, like you have your life all put together...And that didn't come out right because you make me really nervous...It's like you're so, so pretty...and not just in an appearance way...and I'm so...not."

Karlie sighed and looked up, meeting her eyes, "I'm sorry for going off on you like that. Sometimes I just get frustrated because I feel like everyone expects me to be perfect," she paused, lowering her voice, "...And for the record...you are really pretty, Taylor," the corners of her mouth began to turn up and her tone became lighter, "..and not just in an appearance way either."

There was something so genuine and warm that flickered across the girl's face, her small smile--almost like... _sunshine--_ Taylor had to believe her. She  _truly_  believed her.

All she could do was blush and look away.

"And about the healthy thing," Karlie brought Taylor's eyes back to her's, "I eat well because it makes me feel good, but when it comes right down to it...I eat what I want," she popped a fry in her mouth, "when I want," she twirled her fingers to lick a bit of ketchup that had dripped down, "and however much I want."

Just how she managed to look so graceful licking ketchup off her fingers remained a mystery to Taylor, but she nodded to assure Karlie she understood and found herself feeling a new kind of admiration and respect for this girl.

They finished eating and as Taylor went to throw away their trash, she spotted a fair employee guiding some kind of fluffy animal by a rope near the picnic tables.

She was filled with a sudden surge of excitement and ran back to Karlie, "Oh my god, is that an alpaca right now? Or a llama? They didn't have that when we went to the petting zoo! I'm gonna take a picture."

After snapping the shot, she eagerly turned back to Karlie to show off her alpaca (llama?) photo but the girl was giving her a funny face she couldn't quite read.

"What?"

Karlie bit her lip to stop her growing smile, then leaned in and whispered, "Let's go have some fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took forever haha.. I just kept re-reading it and changing things.
> 
> As usual, follow my tumblr @ omgkaylor.tumblr.com :-) if you wish.


	4. The Fair

"Karlie, slow down!" laughter bubbled up in Taylor's throat as she chased the girl through a winding path of gardens, a mess of matter and colors blurring her vision. She turned back to apologize to a tour guide they'd just cut off, brushing past flowers that tickled her face, "Sorry!"

"Watch it ladies! These plants are imported fr--" Taylor heard the tour guide shout back, fading towards the end as she focused on catching up.

When she turned the corner to a row of pink and white orchids, the girl was nowhere in sight. She slowed to catch her breath, steps becoming heavier as the rush died down. Light poured in through the large square windows lining the top of the wall as she began to wander, reaching out to trail her fingers along the flowers. The thickly covered rows made the garden seem like an endless maze. This was the first time she'd been alone for the entire day and there was something soothing about watching dust float in the soft glow.

 _Woah,_ she thought _, whoever did all this really_ _has a_ _green thumb._

A rustling came from the plants behind her and she spun around to see Karlie poking her head through a pink orchid from the other side of the row.

"Hey!" the girl beamed. The leaves rustled once more and her hand came across holding a single, delicate violet.

Taylor gasped a little when she looked down at the purple flower, mostly out of fear of getting in trouble but also at the apparent offering. Her tone was lighter, almost amused, as she scolded the girl, "You can't just pluck those!"

"Mhmmm," she pushed the flower closer to Taylor's face, "but it smells  _really_  good."

After slight hesitation, Taylor leaned in, feeling her cheeks become rosier as she did so, and was greeted by the sweet scent of vanilla mixed with a hint of fresh evergreen. The aroma lingered even after she pulled away. Karlie wasn't wrong.

She retreated back to her cautiousness, trying not to get caught up, "Really, though, we could get kicked out."

"Hmm," Karlie furrowed her brow and pretended to be deep in thought, "...guess that's your problem then." In one swift motion, she tossed the flower at her and ran off.

"Karlie!"

She could hear the girl laughing from the other side, "Hold on, I'm coming around!"

Taylor brought the violet to her nose once more inhaling the scent before seeing Karlie round the corner and quickly tucking it behind her back.

The girl's jog turned into a twirl, as she threw her head back, smiling, with outstretched arms, "Ugh, I love this place."

Taylor nodded, the cool air-conditioning did provide a nice contrast to the suffocating midwestern heat outside. She twirled her fingers around a vine that had brushed her shoulder while watching Karlie spin against the backdrop of a living, breathing wonderland. It was a short moment but it felt so slow. Loose strands of chestnut hair from her bun shimmered in the natural light, whipping around her face, briefly getting caught between rosy lips. As she slowed and lowered her head to look at Taylor, the light hit her eyes in just the right place, flashing a lighter shade of green.

_Woah._

Her face suddenly became animated and she threw her hands up, voice dripping with excitement, "Stay. Right. There."

Taylor's breath caught in her throat.

_There better not be a spider on my face or something._

She turned from nervous to confused when she watched Karlie reach in her bag and pull out..

"A camera?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

Karlie looked up from the adjustments she was making and nodded, "A polaroid."

"Oh yeah..It's one of those ones that print the pictures, right? I think my mom had one of those."

"Mhm," she raised the camera up in front of her face, "Okay, just like that. You look perfect."

 _Was she being serious?_ So many beautiful things and Karlie wanted to take a picture of  _her_? And she was the  _perfect_  one?

She heard a click and moments later the film rolled out. Karlie waved the photograph around a bit then tucked it in her bag while Taylor stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do and still embarrassed about the whole thing.

She decided to speak up, "So, you're, uh, into photography?"

Karlie zipped up her bag and began walking towards Taylor, "I guess..I don't know..there's just something sorta magical about instant film, another dimension digital photography could never pick up," Taylor followed her as she wandered deeper into the garden, "I just, like..I love people. People are beautiful, you know? To capture someone in their most intimate moments is.." Her voice became higher as she threw her hand over her eyes and began laughing, flustered, "I don't know! I'm not explaining this well at all."

Taylor's heart fluttered at the sight. She smiled and made eye contact with the girl, not so scared this time, "No, no. I get it yeah."

Karlie nodded, "And yours," she pointed to her bag, referring to the photograph just taken, "That one, I can't wait for that one to develop."

Taylor blushed and looked away, deciding a blooming tiger lily was easier to look at.

There was an itching in her heart she couldn't quite explain.

\--

"Uh..shouldn't we be meeting up with Ed and Ella now?" Taylor hesitated, as they had just left the garden and Karlie showed no signs of slowing down.

She turned to her, thumb between teeth, "Have they texted you?"

"No, but--"

Karlie's eyes instantly lit up and moved away from her, noticing something in the distance.

"Buuuuut," she grabbed Taylor's wrists and rocked her side to side playfully, "I actually just saw something incredible and I really  _really_  wanna go!"

She proceeded to walk away while Taylor shouted after her, "Where are you...You- you're lying! You're just trying to distract me!"

Karlie turned back and stuck her tongue out like a little kid. Taylor couldn't help but smile and ran to catch up with her.

Once she was in stride with Karlie again, the girl turned to her,"I swear! I swear it's a surprise!" she assured.

Taylor sighed, "We've already railed off schedule a bit--" Her hand had twitched, instinctively reaching for the map in her bag she'd been clinging to all day.

Karlie stopped dead in her tracks and closed her eyes, smiling tightly, "Taylor, I swear to god, if you take that map out one more time.."

"Okay, okay!" she relented, surprised that the girl had read her mind without even looking at her.

As they approached a colorful striped tent, Karlie quickly spun around and began waving her hands in front of Taylor's face, blocking her vision.

"Shhh! Don't look! Don't look!" she warned, trying to keep a straight face but her growing smile couldn't be contained with a lip bite.

Taylor attempted to look over her hands but Karlie was simply too determined and wrapped her hands around Taylor's eyes. She joined her in laughter at the ridiculousness of this "secret."

Once they'd gotten close enough, Karlie moved in front of her and slowly lifted her hands away from Taylor's face. As her vision crept back in, she shifted her focus from Karlie's excited grin to reading the cartoon chalk sign in front of the tent.

"...A puppet show?" she asked, tone serious, face unreadable.

"A puppet show," Karlie confirmed, smiling down at her ear to ear.

It took her a few seconds but all of a sudden realization struck her and she was flooded with excitement, eyes going wide, "A puppet show!"

"A puppet show!" Karlie repeated, matching her enthusiasm.

They did this for several minutes, getting more and more hyped as it became an almost competition between each other, until they were both jumping up and down laughing.

"Oh my god... Why I didn't I think of this!? This wasn't on the map!" Taylor cursed herself, knowing this was the perfect dorky stuff her friends would enjoy.

"Yes! I knew you'd love it! See, it  _wasn't_  on the map," Karlie pushed at Taylor's shoulder, "I win!"

Taylor just shook her head and smiled at the floor.

 _That_  feeling was tugging at her again.

\--

After about the fifth show in a row (Karlie had kept convincing her to stay for " _just one more_ "), they were finally forced to leave so the actors could take their break. A few of the parents had given them funny looks seeing as how they were the only two kids over 4 feet and not in the 1st grade sitting cross-legged on the colorful puzzle rug, attentively watching socks talk to each other (not to mention the fact that they had the loudest reactions). But it didn't bother Karlie, so somehow it didn't bother her. Taylor had even made friends with one of the kids after he offered her his juice pouch.

"So which story was your favorite?" Karlie had turned to her and asked while applying chapstick in the bathroom mirror.

Taylor thought for a second, replaying each story back in her head, "I guess...the one that was like Romeo and Juliet, but also, you know,  _not_. Except, I didn't really get the ending."

Karlie raised her eyebrows but kept her eyes fixed on the mirror while Taylor leaned back on the sink beside her, "Got a thing for forbidden love?" she teased, exaggerating the last part.

Taylor scoffed at first, "No, no..." then started to give in,"Well..I mean..I just..I'm just a sucker for lovey-dovey romantic stories." It  _was_ the truth. "Plus I got a 7+ when we close read it last year," she added with a hint of pride.

"Mmm...so what didn't you understand about the ending?"

Taylor shrugged, "Well, obviously, it was different from the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, you know. I thought it was going to have a fairy tale ending, I mean it is for kids after all, and they were both finally happy, but then she just left. I thought that was weird."

"I don't know about that," Karlie started, a hint of playfulness in her voice, "She didn't  _just_  leave. She told Chad Shinyteeth, whatever his name, from the beginning she wanted to be the legendary Bubblegum Astronaut and then the Star Fairies just happen to fall out of the sky and land straight into her pool? That's a once in a lifetime opportunity. How could she pass that up?"

Taylor grew more defensive, "But over love? She chose that over true love? So she could float out in space all lonely forever?"

"Did you ever consider she wasn't looking for a Prince Charming?" Karlie countered, throwing Taylor's slightly aggressive tone back at her, "Maybe she didn't need him to complete her life. And what makes you think she would be all lonely in space? Maybe she'd love her job, her life, even whatever weird alien friends she'd make."

Taylor crossed her arms, opening her mouth to fire off the rant growing in her throat when she heard the bathroom door creak open and a girl shuffled past them into one of the stalls.

They looked back at each other after the door had closed and stared for a half-second before bursting out laughing.

"Did we really just get in a fight about puppets?!" Taylor exclaimed.

Karlie simply smiled and shook her head, handing Taylor back the chapstick she'd lent her, "Thanks, by the way."

Taylor nodded, trying not to think about how Karlie's lips had touched it and now how every time she used-- _ZZZzz_

She was caught off guard by her phone vibrating in her pocket.

"Oh fudge," she sighed, "It's check-in time. Ed just texted me, said him and Ella were already there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me every chapter: This is going to be the chapter where I finish the entire fair there's way too many parts I can't take it anymore
> 
> Me publishing every chapter anyways: ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> P.S. I don't respond to most of the comments but I love and appreciate each one.


	5. The Fair

It became apparent they were the last to show when arriving to a large mass of white ASB shirts. Taylor scanned the crowd until spotting a familiar ginger sitting on a bench away from everyone.

"Hey-yyy, my two favorite giants!" Ed greeted as they approached.

Karlie gave him a courteous laugh while Taylor remained unamused, having heard the "joke" just under a billion times.

"Check-in is that-a-way if you can survive the mob," Ella pointed to the crowd by the meeting tent.

Taylor thanked her and began making her way towards the scene, leaving Karlie and them behind to talk. She was forced to slide past several sweaty jock before finally spotting Ms. Paine with the check board.

_Gosh, the things I do for these people._

After checking them all off, Taylor returned to the group, noticing right away Karlie was gone.

"Hey where's....?" she trailed off, as they ignored her to play with what looked like some colorful plastic toy.

"I think she went to the bathroom or something," Ed replied without looking up.

 _"Or_ _something,"_ Taylor scoffed at the comment, growing slightly annoyed with the carelessness they showed towards the girl in question.

"That's funny. We just went to the bathroom."

Ella snapped her fingers and joked, "Hey, you don't know her bladder."

Taylor crossed her arms and smiled a bit in defeat, taking a seat on the bench.

"So, what did you guys do?" Ed asked, somewhat absentmindedly, after a few moments of silence.

"What do you mean?" Taylor shot off quickly, feeling her heart pick up at the simple question.

 _Strange_.

"I don't know. Just making conversation," Ed replied while winding up the toy, unaware of any change in Taylor at all.

She shook her head and tried to relax again, "Nothing...What have you guys been doing?"

"This!"

In a sudden whirl of motion, the bird toy launched straight at her face, chattering loudly as she flinched. It bounced off her glasses, still flapping wildly, and stuck on her shoulder, tickling her neck.

"Jerk!" she managed to shout out in a laughing fit while Ed roared.

"Hey!" she heard Ella exclaim to someone behind them.

Taylor's laughter caught in her throat as she turned her attention to Karlie towering over her, dangling a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. She must've dropped them in the commotion.

Karlie raised an eyebrow and smiled down at her as she sheepishly reached for them but returned the smile, "Thanks."

"You signed us in?"

"Mhm," Taylor hummed with her head back, body splayed across the bench, still looking up at the girl.

"You ready to go?"

"Mhm," Taylor replied again, feeling her face grow warmer at Karlie maintaining her gaze, directing the question only at her.

She held her stare for perhaps a second too long and Karlie tore away, smiling at Ed and Ella. There was something not right about it though, different than her usual, easy expression.

"We're, um, all ready to go?"

\--

The sun was setting and the sky burned hot and intense, bursting with orange at the center, reflecting the day, dithering out into lilac at the top. She studied this curiously, arms crossed, leaning against the queue railing while watching the colors fluctuate with each passing minute. It was nice to look up and not be blinded.

The worker waved the line forward and before she could even take a few steps, a familiar set of hands came down on her shoulders, shaking her roughly.

"Ya scared, Tay?" she heard Ed's voice in her ear.

Ella scoffed next to him, "The only thing she has to be scared of is your breath, okay?"

Taylor couldn't help but crack up at their dumb banter. Even if they were annoying sometimes, she really did love them.

Ed had run directly at Ella, mouth open, attacking her with his, well... _breath_.

She made a sour face, pretending to vomit, and pushed him away.

"Can you believe he ate a deep fried pickle earlier!"

Taylor really could believe it. She shook her head as they bickered on. The line moved forward again and in a few minutes they were most likely going to be strapped to that metal death machine.

_Humans. They do the strangest things for "fun."_

She'd been able to keep it together for most of the wait but every step closer was unhinging. Her eyes had been fixed on the floor but now she decided to sneak a glance up at the girl across from her.

After a few moments she heard Karlie's voice low, the surrounding chatter of other guests filling the air around them, "Are you afraid of heights?"

Taylor fidgeted with her ring, "A little bit."

"It's okay...just um..." Karlie thought for a second then instantly perked up, "Pretend you're a bird!"

"..What?!" Taylor was already starting to laugh.

Karlie beamed, obviously proud of herself, and began doing an imitation. "Yeah! It will be just like you're flying!"

"Karlie...I don't know what birds your--since when do birds drop out of the sky in a terrifying free fall?"

In one sudden motion, Karlie threw her head back, laughing, leaving Taylor to watch with the utmost amusement as the girl seemed to put her whole body into it.

"Oh god, you're right!" she exclaimed, covering her face as she reddened.

Taylor wasn't completely sure what it was she just witnessed but she knew she wanted to be the cause of it, like, All. The. Time.

Her fascination with this incredible phenomenon was cut short as the ride attendant opened the gate for them to be seated. 

She felt Ed's rough hands on her back again, "Here we go, Tay!"

To her disappointment, he took the seat next to her, Ella in between, and Karlie all the way on the opposite end.

The last thing she saw before shutting her eyes and screaming at the top of her lungs was the hot pink sky stretching out around them, engulfing the small town as the sun disappeared along the horizon.

For a second, she felt like she _was_ flying.

\--

"Come on Taylor just one lick!"

She put her hands up in defense and backed away, "Absolutely not!"

Ed had wanted to go on the drop ride like three more times (to Taylor's horror) but Karlie shot that idea down when she suggested they blow all their money on trying the food here instead.

Karlie took her place and suddenly went for a mouthful of the deep fried pickle.

Taylor gasped, throwing a hand over her mouth, "Karlie! Oh my..wh--"

"It's like.." the girl paused to swallow, "It's not bad, actually. Tangy but warm and crispy."

She grinned, "What's next?!"

\--

4 candy apples. 5 churros. 3 funnel cakes. 2 chocolate-covered pork rinds. 1 giant bag of cotton candy. 2 fried Twinkies. An order of nachos.

Karlie slammed the giant 3-flavored sundae in front of her.

"Eat up!"

Taylor shook her head and shifted uncomfortably in the plastic seat, "How can you even?"

Karlie shrugged and offered spoons to Ed and Ella next to her, who meagerly declined.

"I lost you after the funnel cakes," Taylor remarked.

Karlie stuck her tongue out, "That's because you guys are babies. This is just the appetizer in the Lou."

"I've been thoroughly disgusted, but also, thoroughly intrigued. Everything is just so..." Ella paused, crinkling her nose and hovering her hands over Karlie's sundae, "...big."

Ed shook his head, "Americans! You got all this crap but I can't even find some decent fish n' chips. Miss it across the pond."

"Go back then," Ella deadpanned.

Ed let out a small laugh and sighed, "I could...I should."

"That's what I've been meaning to ask," Karlie interjected, narrowing her eyes as she pointed her spoon out at him and playfully accused, "You're not from around here, are you?"

Ed rested his chin on his hand and pouted, "What gave it away?" he asked, tone biting with sarcasm.

Taylor had almost forgotten Karlie was the outsider of the group. She leaned over and flicked Ed on the ear, "Don't be rude!"

"Rude?!" he exclaimed, feigning insult, "I was just playing along! If anything, it's my impeccable British humor."

Taylor turned back to Karlie and took up the courtesy of explaining, "He's a rebel. Saved up for a plane ticket. Came all the way out here by himself." A hint of pride marked her tone. This was something she had always liked about Ed.

"Well, and ya know,"  Ed added, quickly moving his fingers up and down to strum an air guitar.

Karlie nodded in understanding, "Ah..so you're a musician? I've always wanted to learn how to play an instrument but, I don't know, I guess I just don't have the patience or natural talent or whatever," she shoveled another spoonful of peach ice cream into her mouth, "But you sound straight out of a poem. The young, passionate guitar player leaves home and travels the world to... to go to carnivals and eat deep-fried pickles? You _must_ be _really_ good," she added, throwing back some of that "British" humor.

Ed laughed and Taylor sensed the change immediately.

The way he was looking at Karlie; She knew the look. It didn't sit well.

"Yup, I am. Absolutely. Better than the Beatles. Ya think Ringo could down a pickle like me?" he chuckled again and Karlie joined him, "But seriously, I'd be happy to play for you sometime. I could even show you a few strings if you're interested. I just cleaned up my place, actually-- "

Taylor was right. She didn't like the way the conversation had turned and had to fight the urge to mention she played guitar as well.

"He plays at Johnny's every night," she interrupted with instead, "Y'know that old bar that kinda looks like a barn, past Acorn? Ell and I usually go there on Fridays for support. Trust me; I'm trying to save you here. You do not want to step foot in that pig sty he calls home."

Ed's eyes widened and he whined, "Were you not here five seconds ago when I said I just cleaned up?!"

Taylor ignored him and turned back to Karlie, smiling. "Fridays at seven," she repeated.

\--

Night crept up slow, easing in with every candy-colored neon light that flickered on around them.

It was energy. It was electric.

That's how it felt as she studied the floor, watching the pink light bounce off her dirty white converse.

That's how it felt as she heard her friends laugh, teeth glowing in the dark, away from the crowds.

That's how it felt as she stood outside the dusty tent, artificial fog obscuring her view, an overdose of sugar coursing through her veins making her jittery and warm and excited.

That's how it felt to her.

"You know we don't have to go in if you don't want to," Karlie's voice shook her from her thoughts, "We can just wait for them by the exit."

The queue was eerily empty. Not even a worker stood outside to collect their tickets. Only a single vintage sign that read "WELCOME" in bold black letters hung from the tent.

 _How suitable,_ she thought, the beat of her heart matching her growing fears.

"No, I want to..if you want to."

Karlie nodded.

She took a deep breath.

And then they entered.

\--

_What made you so brave all of a sudden?_

That was the first thought.

_Bad idea. How do you even know they came in here? Did you see? For sure? What if they tricked you? What if this place isn't even open? The entrance. The tickets. The line. Oh god. Oh god. Something's not right. This isn't right. This isn't right. Get out. Get out! NOW!_

Her eyes darted around as fast as her thoughts, hungry to see something, anything, any light they could absorb, but everywhere she looked was darkness.

In a haste, she spun back for the entrance. But to her horror, found the tent to be sealed. She began clawing at the thick plastic, growing more and more hysterical by the second, only to further discover something hard blocking it from the other side.

"Oh no, no, no, no..."

She kicked and smacked her hand against the tent to no avail.

"That's not... This isn't happening. This isn't happening. I don't--"

"Taylor.." Karlie called quietly next to her, but she didn't hear.

Taylor tried again, this time harder, slamming her body against it, hair falling in her face as she strained herself. After a few more tries she let out a sigh and went limp against the barrier, given up. For a while, everything was silent except for Taylor's shaky breathing, caused partially because of the exercise, partially because the anxiety had filled her lungs; she seemed to exhale it now, so tangible it was even making the musty air tense.

"I had a kitten when I was little."

Karlie's voice traveled to her, catching her off guard.

"Well, not really. She was a stray cat. I remember running home everyday after school to wait for her. Steal some scraps from dinner and leave it out," she let out a small laugh, "Until my mom found out and said I was going to get rabies."

They couldn't see each other's faces but almost on cue Karlie answered the only thought that had popped into Taylor's head: _What are you doing?_

"Talking helps. We'll take it a step at a time. Let's just talk okay?"

There was probably about a million concerns still buzzing around in her mind, but with a soft sigh, Taylor eased up from the wall and took a step forward, brushing shoulders with the girl.

"Okay," she mumbled quietly, not bothering to question it.

\--

Taylor couldn't help but eat up every word this girl was spilling. Karlie went on about a variety of things--baseball games, apple picking summers, cookies--it felt like the darkness stretched out for miles; maybe they were just walking slowly, maybe they weren't really here at all.

She turned to look at Karlie's face but was only able catch a glimpse of teeth or make out a rough outline here or there. The only way she could tell how close they were was through the occasional brush or feel of the girl's breath or warmth on her skin, which lingered for most of the walk.

The stories seemed to get quieter, softer, more intimate as they went on--maybe she was just tired, (the adrenaline and sugar high had started to die down, after all)--until about halfway through the girl just stopped altogether.

The silence startled Taylor and she waited in curiosity for the familiar voice to return.

10, 20, 30...

The quiet seconds passed until she was forced to stop mid-step, fearing the girl was not even there anymore.

_Don't panic._

"...Karlie?" she called out in a low voice, holding her breath as she waited for a reply.

Her heart picked up at the silence that had once again fallen, balling her fist to wane off the anxiety bubbling in her stomach.

_Keep calm._

She was just about to call out for the girl again, tongue at the tip of her teeth, when she felt a warm hand gently wrap around her's.

_Oh._

None of them said anything but there was no pressure to fill the silence. She wanted so badly to see the girl's face then.

Things were kind of funny and hard to describe. It all seemed slow but fast at the same time.

Her heart beat at the same rate as the anxiety attack earlier but there was no fear here.

There was no hesitation to the touch.

It was just there.

It was safe _._

And they were connected.

A sudden flash of light sliced through the darkness, grabbing their attention like a bolt of lightning in the night sky, and the moment was gone.

"C'mon!"

Taylor felt a tug and they were off, hand in hand.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey :-) It's been a while. Thanks for reading.


End file.
